You are in mine and I am in yours

This morning I have been reading some blogs: I started here with Pen of a Wayfarer, then to my Brother in Christ who happens to be a pastor in Florida over here and lastly to a friend of a life giving friend on this page, which basically urged me to stop reading and get writing. I did finish reading this last post and then made my way to my computer. I found myself re-reading my last couple of posts and thought, "Wow is time marching on" which is true. I want to remember and I don't want to just let things pass by when people are impacting my life in a profound way and doing my best to humbly think that my presence in their lives is having a similar effect.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, therefore our Heavenly Father puts us in one another's lives to bless us. As I read in Jean's blog this morning:

"God wrote your story before you were conceived. Even before He spoke the universe into existence. Every “page” of your life — my life, any life — is part of His great unfolding plan. In our families, neighborhoods, communities, in all our coming and going, our life intersects thousands of other lives. Every time you or I interact with any soul — in the grocery store line, at the toll booth, in the doctor’s office, online — we become part of their story, and they become part of ours."

I thought, "Catherine, you need to acknowledge how the LORD is blessing you in the midst of the tremendous changes happening in your life." Life is constantly changing and I am indeed grateful that I have an Anchor for my soul, the Creator of the Universe, The Alpha and the Omega, the Author of my story who never changes.

It has been my privilege to have raised with Dan our three children, who are all adults, each attending college at the moment. Each one, loved, cared about and cherished. The effort, the struggle, and stick-to-itiveness of intentional parenting is still bearing fruit in my life.

Anitra is a young wife and mother of two small children who sought me out for encouragement in her parenting. Being with her and one of her little ones, I was reminded of how big mommy and daddy are in the life of small children. We are the most influential people in their lives. But children do not stay children for very long and it is only right that as they grow that not unlike John the Baptist we must decrease and the LORD Jesus must increase in their lives. This happens through EVERY stage of a child's development. It is good to be able to give Anitra the Big picture view of parenting, indeed we want to work our way out of a job by producing adults. That is not to say we cease being the mum and dad of Grace, Katie and Michael. We will always gratefully be so. Parents of young children train, teach, guide, direct, and discipline them because of the love that they have for their dear little loves. While we put in the effort to do these things, we then get to delight in them and enjoy their sweet company. Every time we meet together, I seem to be the one who is encouraged.

Jordan is a younger brother in Christ who asked me to tutor him and I am pretty sure that both of us are the students. It is not unlike when I was educating my own children at home, I learned so much during their growing up years. If you have been reading my blog for some time, you know that my philosophy of education can be pretty much summarized by the following quote from Plutarch:

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.”

The flicker of the spark was there when Jordan came to me but he has just needed some help with the kindling, where to find it and how to stack it to get the fire going. Right now, he is pursuing his education vigorously. It is a wonderful thing to be a part of and again, it a totally different way from being with Anitra, I am encouraged.  

This post is just a way of acknowledging that the LORD is still writing my story and that these are two of the dear ones that have become a part of mine and I have become a part of theirs. And I know that there are people reading this post who are in my story and please know that I thank the LORD that you are.